Humans – WAKE UP! Get Our Thinking Brains Online

posted in: Recent, Stage 2, Stage 2: Step 1

Our lower brains are taking the human species down KEY POINTS Why do humans often not practice what they preach or believe?. Abstract thinking and judgment don’t function during chaos. We cannot solve humanity’s problems without clear and creative thinking. Learning the skills to regulate our physiology is critical to … Read More

Schadenfreude: Your Pain My Pleasure

posted in: Recent, Stage 2, Stage 2: Step 3

Schadenfreude—the pleasure derived from another’s misfortune—is biologically rooted in the brain’s reward system. Brain imaging studies reveal that when we witness the downfall of someone we envy or dislike, the ventral striatum activates—the same reward center associated with pleasure, food, and financial gain. By the way, remember that this is merely a sensation … Read More

Anger Manifesto – “Humans, wake up!!”

posted in: Recent, Stage 2, Stage 2: Step 2

 Humanity Won’t Survive Without Engaging its Thinking Brain No Action in a Reaction The Human Survival Paradox Consider a time long ago when survival required outrunning predators or gathering enough food to last through the day. For our early ancestors, every rustle in the grass could signal a threat, and … Read More

Anger, Tall Poppy Syndrome, and Schadenfreude (The Luigi Mangione Story)

posted in: Recent, Stage 2, Stage 2: Step 2

Dr. Doug Garland writes this post with some contributions by me. He is an orthopedic surgeon who was one of my mentors during my second year of orthopedic residency. Although I trained in Honolulu, HI, one of my rotations was at Rancho Las Amigos in Downey, Southern California. It is … Read More

CEO Shooting vs. A Healing Journey

There was a front-page story in the NY Times about the shooting of the CEO of United Healthcare. The suspect came from privilege and had a bright future. Unfortunately, he suffered from chronic LBP and did not improve with a surgical fusion of his lower back for a purported spondylolisthesis. … Read More

The Tragic Decline of Luigi Mangione: Pain, Isolation, and the Human Survival Response

posted in: Recent, Stage 2, Stage 2: Step 1

Luigi Mangione’s transformation from a promising academic star to an alleged murderer encapsulates the interplay of evolutionary instincts, physical struggles, and societal pressures. His story is cautionary, revealing the deeper mechanisms of stress and anger rooted in human survival instincts and their misalignment with modern life. The Evolutionary Roots of … Read More

The Myth of Self-Esteem

posted in: Stage 2, Stage 2: Step 3

Self-esteem is one of the worst concepts ever propagated. While the definition itself appears harmless enough on its surface, “confidence in one’s own worth or abilities,” the ideas surrounding self-esteem implies that if I had enough of “X,” then I would have less anxiety, less frustration, and more happiness. “X” … Read More

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